If you’re looking for an affordable and effective cordless wet and dry stick vacuum, Roborock has well and truly got you covered. A step up from its F25 model, the F25 ACE delivers more suck for your buck, from its powerful suction and anti-tangle tech to its auto-dispensing detergent tank and self-cleaning function.
But, first things first. The Roborock F25 ACE is very easy to assemble, straight out of the box. That means something coming from me because I struggle with the simplest "insert part A into part B" instructions at the best of times. (I’m saying that if I can put the F25 ACE together, so can literally everyone else.) Once it’s assembled and after a quick charge on its dock, the F25 ACE is ready to go.
One thing you’ll notice as soon as you press the “Start” button is the vacuum’s motorized wheels, which might take a little bit of getting used to. On the one hand, the self-propelling wheels are terrific for ease of use. I guided the 4.7-kg (10.4-lb) F25 ACE around my house using just my pinkie finger, which would be great for older folks – or anyone else – with limited strength and mobility. Also, the SlideTech motorized wheels have independent motors, meaning that one wheel can turn while the other is stationary. This makes the F25 ACE very maneuverable.
On the other hand, motorized wheels mean that if you’re not holding onto the vacuum’s handle when you switch it on, the device will take off on you. But, look, that’s a very minor niggle, and once you’re aware of it, it shouldn't be an ongoing problem.
Now for the critical part: does it suck? Yes, yes, it does – very well. Granted, the floors in my house are wood, but having said that, I have dogs that, despite their size, shed an inordinate amount of floofy hair, which collects on the floor, especially under the TV cabinet and the dining table. With 20,000 Pa of suction power, the F25 ACE cleared the floof off the floor with extreme prejudice. And it performed equally well on carpet (note: the only carpet I have in my house is a large bathroom mat).
The vacuum’s “lay-flat” design means it can lie completely flat for those hard-to-reach places, like under cabinets and tables. When it’s flat, the vacuum has a body height of 12.5 cm (4.9 in). There’s even a tiny wheel on the handle to make the vacuum easier to use while it’s in that position. It’s little additions like these that, as a consumer, you appreciate.
The F25 ACE uses Roborock’s trademarked JawScrapers technology, a scraper system that dynamically adjusts to fit snugly against the roller. It’s meant to ensure that any hair you suck up, whether it’s long or short, doesn’t get tangled around the roller. It certainly proved itself in my experience; I saw no tangles of any kind. The system also helps to squeeze out dirty water from the roller, leaving no streaks behind. The dirty water (and whatever else you’ve sucked up) gets transferred to an easily removable plastic container on the front of the vacuum. It’s semi-opaque, so you can see when it needs emptying, but there’s also a voice prompt that will tell you when the it does, too.
The screen display on the head of the vacuum’s stick is simple, but it tells you what you need to know about the device’s performance. You also get voice alerts telling you what the F25 ACE is up to (what mode it’s in, when the dirty water tank needs emptying), which are helpful, but can get annoying after a while. However, you can turn down the volume of the voice alerts via the app (more on that below).
Unlike other wet/dry stick vacuums, the F25 ACE has a separate tank where you put your detergent or cleaning solution. This setup means you don’t have to add cleaning solution to the water tank every time the water runs out, which happens pretty frequently. And the F25 ACE can detect how dirty your floors are (no judgment), auto-dispensing the right amount of detergent to deal with it.
The vacuum’s roller is designed to provide edge-to-edge cleaning, and I found that it was pretty effective at cleaning right up to the wall. A full battery is meant to last 60 minutes, and I am certain that it would. But, to be honest, my place isn’t huge, and I always put the vac back on the dock after using it, so I never ran out of battery.
After the vacuuming is done, the F25 ACE goes back in its dock to charge and self-clean. The self-cleaning system is totally enclosed, so it’s safe and efficient, and includes a 90 °C (194 °F) hot water wash and drying using air at the same temperature. There are two drying modes on offer: fast and quiet. The quiet cycle takes about 30 minutes and is 47 dB, equivalent to a quiet office or quiet conversation. The fast dry is louder (66 dB, similar in volume to a dishwasher) but takes only five minutes to complete.
The app that accompanies the F25 ACE, like the vacuum itself, is easy to set up. From the app, you can control how thorough the self-clean cycle is, the water temperature used (hot or room temperature) and set the drying mode to fast or quiet. The separate settings menu allows you to fine-tune the device to an incredible degree. You can adjust vacuum modes, including suction force, water level, roller speed, and detergent level, as well as control the volume of voice alerts, and check for firmware updates.
With all these fancy features, you’re probably expecting the Roborock F25 ACE to be out of your price range. Think again. The vacuum is currently selling for US$439.99 from Roborock’s online US store, which includes free delivery via FedEx or UPS, a one-year warranty, and 24/7 support. The F25 ACE is also available to Australian customers for AU$999.00.
For that pretty reasonable price, you get a wet and dry vacuum that is packed full of handy features and, to top it off, is very good at doing what it is supposed to do: vacuuming. I’d highly recommend it.
Source: Roborock
